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The 2013 London Bird Report is now out - to get a copy please click here. Friday 4th December 2015 ''' *Brent Reservoir: pair Wigeon, 18 Snipe, Water Rail, '''Short-eared Owl '''11.35 flew NE mobbed by Crows and Gulls (Leo Batten, Roy Beddard, Pete Lowman) *Bow Creek Ecology Park: 62 Teal, 53 Redshank, 1 Common Sandpiper, 1 Chiffchaff, 2 Goldcrests (Nick Senior) *Brookmill Park: Mandarin, Kingfisher, Great Spotted Woodpecker, Song thrush, Goldcrest (Conrad Ellam) *Bushy Park: 9 Goldcrest, 2 Nuthatch, 4 Stonechat, 3 Great Spotted Woodpecker, 6 Redwing (Mark Wardman) *East India Dock Basin: 7 Shelduck, 77 Teal, 1 ad Yellow-legged Gull over the river, 1 Kingfisher, 2 Cetti's Warblers, 1 Chiffchaff, 4 Goldcrests, 1 Siskin, 3 Reed Buntings (Nick Senior) *Fairlop Waters: '''Great Northern Diver (BirdGuides) *Lamorbey Park, Sidcup. 7 Long-tailed tits, 2 Little Grebe, Grey Heron, Nuthatch, 37 Canada Geese. In nearby Willersley Avenue five House Sparrows dashed across rapidly pursued by low-flying Sparrowhawk which lunged - and missed.(Eric Brown) *Leatherhead, River Mole: 1 Little Egret, 1 Water Rail, 2 Kingfisher, 1 female Kestrel, 4 Great Spotted Woodpecker, 1 Nuthatch, 2 Pheasant, 3 Ring-necked Parakeet, 7 Redwing (Neil Batten) *Middlesex Filter Beds: Cetti's Warbler singing at 1115 plus Reed Bunting, Kestrel (Alastair Dent) *Pinner: Red Kite being mobbed by Herring Gull just over the house 12:30. To think that once even the gull would have been remarkable (Richard Francis). *Pinner (HA5): 4 Redwing & Coal Tit (Jon Ridge). *Richmond Park: Goosander red-head Upper Pen Pond south end (M.Lewis per JW) Dartford Warbler, Little Grebe, 7 Stonechat and 15+ Goldcrest around Pen Ponds (J.Wilczur, S.Woolfenden, The Friday Group) *Thames Chase Forest Centre: 1 Buzzard, 7 Siskin, 1 Redpoll (Ben Green) *Trent Park: 2 Firecrest together (both probably males) feeding in holly by bridle-path between Williams Wood and Shaws Wood, 12:50 - 12:54 hrs, 2 Woodcock flushed together (Robert Callf) *Wanstead Flats: 12 Redwing (Earlham Grove), 21 Fieldfare, Linnet, 7 Redpoll, Sparrowhawk, Great Black-backed Gull, medium sized grey goose flying south, Meadow Pipit (Nick Croft) *Wanstead Park: Water Rail sharming, 34 Wigeon, 57 Shoveler, 289 Gadwall, 20+ Tufted Duck, 2 Teal, 2-3 Great Crested Grebe, 5 Redpoll, 5 Siskin, what sounded like a Yellowhammer over Bush Wood, 2-3 Nuthatch, Coal Tit, 10+ Goldcrest, Sparrowhawk (Nick Croft) Thursday 3rd December 2015 ''' *Alexandra Park: Chiffchaff heard Conservation Pond 0800 (Bob Watts) *Lindal Cres., EN2: Red Kite adult low over 12:12 - 12:15, whilst I was delivering leaflets (Robert Callf) *Rainham Marshes: 2 '''Raven, Dartford Warbler (Twitter) *Richmond Park: Peregrine over Pen Ponds flew off E (R.Herbert per JW) 200+ Common Gull Upper Pen Pond (M.Lewis per JW) *Staines Moor: Rough-legged Buzzard (BirdGuides) *Sutcliffe Park: Little Grebe, Little Egret, 6 Tufted Duck, Common Snipe, 2 Stock Dove, 2 Chiffchaff (Conrad Ellam) *Trent Park: Firecrest feeding in holly E edge Shaws Wood 14:35 (Robert Callf) *Walthamstow Reservoirs: Male Scaup still on No 4 in flock of Tufties and Pochards (Quentin Given). *Wanstead Flats: 15 Linnet, Redpoll, 2 Reed Bunting, poss Yellowhammer, 7 Pochard, 7 Shoveler, 25 Gadwall, 10 Teal, 2 Great Black-backed Gull, 14 Fieldfare, 2 Meadow Pipit, 5 Goldcrest (Nick Croft/Bob Vaughan) *Wanstead Park: Great Crested Grebe, 45 Shoveler, 243 Gadwall, 30 + Tufted Duck, 15 Wigeon, 7 Teal, 5 Egyptian Goose, 2 Kingfisher, 5 + Siskin, 4 Redpoll, several Redwing, 15 + Goldcrest (Nick Croft/Bob Vaughan) Wednesday 2nd December 2015 ''' *Alexandra Park: Kingfisher, 2 Egyptian Goose Wood Green Res(Bob Watts) *Brent Reservoir: 2 Egyptian Goose, Little Egret, 5+ Water Rail, 18 Snipe, Green Sandpiper, Chiffchaff (Roy Beddard) *Brookmill Park: Mandarin, Kingfisher, Great Spotted Woodpecker, Song Thrush (Conrad Ellam) *Foots Cray Meadows: 3 Little Egrets, 1 Grey Heron, Kingfisher and Kestrel (Patrick English) *Greenwich Peninsula: 1 '''unusual Black-headed Gull with blackish hood and almost black legs and bill (see photos), another Black-headed Gull with pinkish underside - assumed it was dirty so no photo, but possibly rare winter plumage variation as described in PJ Grant's book (Mike Paice) The pink is the oil, which keeps the plumage water resistant, rather than the feathers. ''Thanks, who are you? (Mike) - A diet of prawns in the Mediterranean can produce a pink tinge - just a thought (JR). *Leatherhead Town Centre: 2 Mandarin and 1 Kingfisher on river Mole, 2 Pied Wagtail, 2 Redwing (Neil Batten) *Kennington Lane SE11: Peregrine over at 1230 (Malcolm Hibberd) *London Wetland Centre: 1f Goldeneye still on reservoir lagoon, several Cetti's heard, also 2 Pintail, 2 Goldcrest, 6 Chiffchaff, flock of 50+ Siskin, Green & Great Spotted Woodpeckers, at least 12 Egyptian Geese and c.60 Wigeon (Martin Honey, B. Page and others) *Pinner (Marks & Spencer): Little Egret by the main entrance at 08:55 - the frenzied Xmas shoppers were oblivious to its presence (Jon Ridge). *Pinner Park Farm: Little Egret, 4 Snipe, 2 Teal, Meadow Pipit, 2 Grey Wagtail, 10 Pied Wagtail, Green Woodpecker, Great Spotted Woodpecker, 3 Stock Dove, 30 Fieldfare & 17 Redwing (Jon Ridge). *Surbiton: Portsmouth Rd Filter Beds area - 5 Gadwall, 27 Tufted Duck, 49 flying Cormorant (47 S, 2 E), 11 Lapwing, 2450 Black-headed Gull (1250 E, 800 N), 111 Woodpigeon, 137 Feral Pigeon, 16 Collared Dove, 7 Song Thrush, 40 Redwing (25 S), 97 Goldfinch (Andrew Skotnicki) *Walthamstow Reservoirs: m Goosander (Banbury), 2 f Pheasants (allotments), f Goldeneye (Lockwood), m '''Scaup' still (No 4), Barnacle Goose of unknown origin (playing fields adjacent to No4), Water Rail (Coppermill stream - Lol Bodini). *Wanstead Flats: 15 Linnet, Redpoll, 6 Pochard, 8 Shoveler, 12 Gadwall, 2 Teal, Little Grebe (Bob Vaughan) *Wanstead Park: Great Crested Grebe, 20 Shoveler, 18 Gadwall, Pochard, 5 Wigeon, 7 Egyptian Goose, Kingfisher, Siskin, Goldcrest (Bob Vaughan) Tuesday 1st December 2015 *Beddington Farmlands: Little Gull 1st winter main lake (BirdGuides) * Brent Reservoir: 15 Common Snipe, Water Rail, Green Sandpiper (Steve Blake). * Cornmill Gardens: Kingfisher, Little Egret, Mandarin, singing Song Thrush (Tom Moulton) * East Dulwich SE22: 2 Blackcap (m), Red Admiral in garden (Steven Robinson) * East India Dock Basin: 19 Shelduck then 7 flew off downriver, 13 Tufted, 1 Sparrowhawk, 1 Kingfisher, 1 Redwing, 1 singing Cetti's Warbler, 1 Chiffchaff, 8 Goldcrests, 10 Chaffinches, 4 Greenfinches, 1 male Bullfinch dropped in to the North bank tees, 2 Reed Buntings (Nick Senior). * Fairlop Waters: Great Northern Diver (BirdGuides), 180 Lapwing (James Palmer) * Leatherhead: 3 Common Buzzard viewed distantly circling high over Ashtead Common area (Neil Batten). * Pinner Park Farm: 5 Little Egret (site record), 6 Snipe, 2 Teal (probable pair), 2 Shoveler (probable pair), 9 Meadow Pipit, Grey Wagtail, 11 Redwing, male Kestrel, 24 Jackdaw, 3 Jay, 4 Stock Dove, 6 Chaffinch & 7 Grey Heron (Jon Ridge). * Richmond Park: red-head Goosander Upper Pen Pond briefly at mid-day (R.Herbert per JW) * St James's Park: Peregrine took a Pigeon mid-air at 14:32 (Frank Nugent). * Staines Moor: 19 Fieldfare, 2 Stonechat, 2 Little Grebe, Coal Tit, Goldcrest, Little Egret, Cetti's Warbler, Green Woodpecker (Keith Kerr). * Surbiton Filter Beds: 6 Little Grebe, 4 Gadwall, 12 Lapwing (Nigel Jackman) * Stanwell Moor: 7 Teal, Goldcrest, Buzzard, Kestrel, Cetti's Warbler, Pheasant (Keith Kerr). * Trent Park: Egyptian Goose - probably first-winter, grazing grass by lower lake - scarce at this site! (Robert Callf) * Valentines Park: Kingfisher, Grey Wagtail (James Palmer) * Wallington (TQ291632) - 7:30am to 8:15 1 f Pheasant walking around my garden then chased by next doors cat! Completely lost (Arjun Dutta) * Wanstead Flats: 31 Gadwall, 17 Shoveler, 4 Teal, 4 Pochard, 15+ Tufted Duck, 8 Egyptian Goose, Redpoll, 9 Linnet, 3 Meadow Pipit, Sparrowhawk, Kestrel, Great Black-backed Gull, Little Grebe, 3+ Goldcrest (Nick Croft/Bob Vaughan). * Wanstead Park: 40 Wigeon (new site record), 318 Gadwall, 60 Shoveler, 12 Teal, 2 Egyptian Goose, 2 Great Crested Grebe, Little Grebe, 2 Kingfisher, 5 Siskin, 5 Redpoll, 2 Fieldfare, 8+ Goldcrest, possible Firecrest by bridge over Roding (Nick Croft/Bob Vaughan), Kingfisher (James Palmer), Common Buzzard (Paul Ferris) * Woodford Bridge: Around 30 Common Gulls as part of a mixed flock on the cricket pitches next to Redbridge Lakes, plus Green Woodpecker in the cemetery and Grey Heron at the lakes (Alan Hobson). Archived News LONDON BIRDING NEWS FROM ALMOST EVERY PREVIOUS MONTH SINCE JULY 2002 {C}